Abstract
This study was aimed to investigate the role of mineral metabolism, total soluble phenols, total chlorophyll and total soluble sugar in the defense of the blackgram genotypes: a susceptible (Mash-88) and a resistant (CM-2002). ULCV infection resulted in an invariable increase in N, Mg, Zn and Fe contents, whereas P, K, Na and Ca contents decreased in both resistant and susceptible genotypes. Results of the present study indicated that crinkling and puckering of ULCV-infected leaves was found more severe in those plants having highly significant reduction in leaf Ca content. Similarly, leaf K and Fe contents were also found positively associated with resistance to ULCV infection. ULCV infection also resulted in significant increment in total soluble phenols in susceptible genotype. However, disease had non-significant effects on foliar total soluble sugar and total chlorophyll contents of both susceptible and resistant genotypes but increment of these constituents in diseased leaves of susceptible plants was significantly higher than the increase in diseased leaves of resistant genotype. (C) 2014 Friends Science Publishers